I love butternut squash in the winter. It’s a nice hearty veggie and there are so many different flavor options. You can go sweet, salty, or even spicy. It is also chock full of nutrients like vitamin a, potassium, and fiber, and is low in calories. Per the USDA, 1 cup of cooked cubed butternut squash has only 82 calories, 6.6g of fiber, and 582mg of potassium.

Anyways, I have been meaning to try making a butternut squash soup for some time but just had not gotten around to it. So, a few weeks ago I was attempting to make my whole grain butternut squash risotto (which you can find here) and it did not turn out exactly as expected. My butternut squash risotto ended up turning into a mushroom risotto because I accidentally fell asleep with the butternut squash in the oven, and it got a bit over cooked…whoops. It was pretty mushy by the time I woke up and both myself and my husband prefer more firm chunky pieces of butternut squash in risotto (he hates mushy foods). So the overcooked butternut squash was transformed into a delicious velvety, smooth, soup. If you saw my facebook live video today about what is in my freezer, you may have seen me pull out a tupperware containing this soup. I am saving some for when I inevitably catch another cold from Baby V.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

2 Cups Cooked and Mashed Butternut Squash

2 Cups Unsalted Vegetable Broth

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil

1/2 Teaspoon Ginger

1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg

Pinch of Salt

1/4 Cup Apple Juice

Directions

Throw everything in a pot and cook on medium heat until warmed to your liking.

Good morning everyone! It has been awhile since my last post because I recently had a baby and things have been a little crazy around here. We are both healthy and doing well so far, although I am a little sleep deprived, but that was expected.

Prior to giving birth I did make some meal preparations because I knew it would be difficult to make healthy meals while dealing with a newborn’s eating and sleeping pattern….I feel like my life is currently in two hour increments. Having some prepared meals in the freezer have been really helpful and I’m super glad I had the foresight to prepare a variety of foods. I highly recommend stocking your freezer with some prepared meals if you know you are going to be very busy in the near future.

One of the meals I decided to prepare and freeze was a lentil veggie soup. Lentils are a great source of protein and fiber and adding any type of vegetables is always a good healthy choice. I also used unsalted vegetable stock and no salt added canned tomatoes so I could control the amount of salt that I wanted to add. My husband did add some hot sauce to his bowl so that is always an option too if you like a spicier bolder soup. Anyways, this recipe is super easy and freezes well and I hope you enjoy it!

Lentil Veggie Soup

Ingredients

4 Cups Unsalted Vegetable Stock

1 Cup Uncooked Lentils, Rinsed

1 Can (14.5 oz) No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes

1 1/2 Cups Chopped Zucchini

1 Cup Chopped Carrots

1 Teaspoon Dried Basil

1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano

3 Cups Raw Chopped Kale – Ribs Removed

Salt and Pepper

Directions

Add all ingredients except for the kale, salt and pepper to slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours. Add kale and stir in until wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or allow to cool and freeze in smaller containers for future use.

I love pasta, vegetables and cheese so I am sure to enjoy any recipe I can make that includes all three of them, so a vegetarian lasagna really gets me salivating. Unfortunately, because I am gluten free, I often cannot order pasta dishes at restaurants, but at least there are a lot of gluten free pasta brands available at the grocery store. I usually stick to whole grain brown rice pasta (whole grains provide fiber and other essential vitamins and minerals and are important for heart health) and my favorite brand is Jovial. It doesn’t get mushy or anything like some of the other rice pastas, and I even make a special trip to a Publix that is farther from my house every once in awhile so I can stock up on it (it is that good).

If you are gluten free just make sure you use a gluten free (and whole grain) lasagna noodle and gluten free tomato sauce. Vegetables, eggs and cheese are naturally gluten free, but always check your labels just in case! If you are not gluten free, I would recommend choosing any whole grain lasagna noodle.

Making a whole lasagna seems like a daunting task to me, especially when I am just cooking for myself and my husband. Instead of filling a giant pan with layers upon layers of lasagna, I decided to roll up the lasagna noodles with a cheese and spinach mixture, top with a spicy red pepper tomato sauce, mushrooms and shredded cheese. I really like this idea cause everything is already portioned into 8 rolls. I planned on only eating 1 roll but I managed to stuff a second one in… I couldn’t help myself…it was so good. (I’m pretty sure my husband had 3 though so I don’t feel that guilty)

Lasagna roll ups

Ingredients

8 Whole Grain Lasagna Noodles

1 cup Nonfat or Reduced Fat Ricotta Cheese

1 Egg

1 10 ounce Package Frozen Spinach, thawed, excess water squeezed out

1 1/2 cups of Fresh Sliced Mushrooms

1 2/3 cups Tomato Sauce

1/2 cup Shredded Reduced Fat Four Cheese Italian

1 tsp Dried Oregano

1 tsp Dried Basil

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. In an 8×8″ glass pan add 2/3 cup of tomato sauce and spread to cover bottom. Add ricotta, egg, spinach and 1/4 cup shredded cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Add garlic, basil and oregano. Mix well. Allow cooked noodles to cool slightly and lay out on a cutting board or baking sheet. Spoon 3 tablespoons of cheese/spinach mix on each noodle, spreading down the length of the noodle. Roll each noodle up and place seam side down in pan with tomato sauce. Sprinkle mushrooms over top after all 8 noodles are rolled up in the pan. Pour a cup of tomato sauce and a quarter cup shredded cheese evenly over the roll ups. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min or until it is piping hot inside and mushrooms on top are soft.

Subscribe!

Want to get more great recipes and ideas in your inbox? Subscribe to receive our updates.

First name *

Email *

About Me

Hi, my name is Caryn and I am registered dietitian nutritionist in Florida, but an Ohio native. I currently work full time in Miami, am raising a beautiful baby girl with my husband, and am working tirelessly on growing my own business. I love eating healthy but hate overly complicated recipes and doing dishes. Come join me on my journey to a healthy and happy life!